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Daniil Medvedev smashes net camera with racquet in epic meltdown, gets booed by Australian Open crowd

Jan 14, 2025 01:24 PM IST

Daniil Medvedev, who shockingly trailed two sets to one in his opener, was booed by the Melbourne crowd after the incident.

Three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev, on Tuesday, suffered an epic meltdown at the Rod Laver Arena during his Australian Open round one match against Thailand's Kasidit Samrej. The Russian, who shockingly trailed two sets to one in his opener, was booed by the Melbourne crowd after the incident.

Russia's Daniil Medvedev wipes his face between the games against Thailand's Kasidit Samrej during their men's singles match on day three of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne(AFP)
Russia's Daniil Medvedev wipes his face between the games against Thailand's Kasidit Samrej during their men's singles match on day three of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne(AFP)

It happened during the ninth game of the third set, with unseeded Samrej on the verge of closing a two sets to one lead. A frustrated Medvedev repeatedly smashed his racquet into the net cordon after missing a passing shot from Samrej as he broke both his racquet and the net camera.

The incident was immediately followed by boos from the Melbourne crowd as the Russian not only got a warning, but the bigger issue was that his act saw his opponent earn two set points.

Medvedev, who stood on the verge of becoming the first defending runners-up to suffer a round-one exit since 2004 Australian Open, did save the first by showing good court coverage, and then another when the Thai player cluttered a tight forehand into the net. Samrej eventually held his nerve with a clutch serve on his fourth opportunity to take a lead.

Medvedev had earlier won the opening set 6-2, before the world no. 418, who entered the tournament as a wildcard, levelled the score with a 6-4 win in the second set, which saw the fifth seed sent out a sarcastic thumbs up gesture at his box.

After the end of the third set, the net camera was replaced as the commentators criticised the act.

Medvedev eventually averted one of the biggest upsets in recent Grand Slam history by rallying to a 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 first-round triumph. With rock-solid serve and low backhand slices, the Russian bounced back in the final two sets as his opponent began to wear down and struggled physically under the Melbourne sun.

Earlier in the day, world number four Taylor Fritz wasted little energy to swat aside fellow American Jenson Brooksby, who is on the way back from a doping suspension, 6-2, 6-0, 6-3. Fritz, who is looking to build on a memorable 2024, will next play Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin in Melbourne. Meanwhile, 22-year-old Emma Raducannu, , who has dealt with a string of injuries since capturing her only Grand Slam title at the 2021 U.S. Open, returned to action for the first time since November with her win over 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova at Melbourne Park.

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Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.
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